Speaker of the California Assembly John A. Pérez

Elected as the 68th Speaker of the California Assembly in 2010, John A. Pérez grew up in the working class communities of El Sereno and Highland Park. His parents instilled the ideals of hard work, dedication and the importance of serving the community. He attended University of California- Berkeley and spent fifteen years being heavily involved in the Labor Movement that seeks the development and protection of worker’s rights, the expansion of health care and the creation of jobs. 

 As a Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, he played a huge role in mandating a local hire agreement that required 30 % of all major construction jobs to be distributed to local residents who are struggling and in need so they can acquire valuable experience and training. He has previous experience as an elected member of the Democratic National Committee and was a board member for the California League of Conservation Voters. 

 Due to the fact that he is the first openly gay person to hold the position of Assembly Speaker in the nation, John A. Pérez is a strong proponent on behalf of the LGBT community. He is heavily involved and has made great achievements with the fight against HIV/AIDS. Organizations he has been involved with are the AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Latino Coalition against AIDS, and the California Center for Regional Leadership. He was additionally selected by President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to serve on the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

 His role as a speaker and being involved with the overall management and supervision of the Assembly is being used to focus on solving California’s Budget Crisis and create policies that create high-paying, quality jobs in California. He is a lifetime advocate for those in need due to his involvement in fighting for better wages, healthcare, and benefits for working-class families. His past experience in living in a working-class community and the values he was raised on have given him a great understanding of the daily struggles that so many working class families go through.